Cross Course Collaboration in Undergraduate Sociology Programs

Abstract

education is not well integrated (Association of American Colleges 1991). This is true both within and between (American Sociological Association 1991). Rather than approaching subjects as distinct areas of inquiry, there has been an effort to better integrate the curriculum, which has resulted in interdepartmental collaborations or other means for across the disciplines (Davis 1995; Letterman and Dugan 2004; Robinson and Schaible 1995). The same problems that face liberal arts programs in general can also affect sociol ogy programs (Wagenaar 2001). Many soci ology programs lack coherence and fail to fully integrate disparate subject matter. Stu dents entering the field encounter different faculty with distinct theoretical perspectives and sub-disciplinary expertise teaching dis crete topics. This can leave students with a good base of knowledge in a number of subject areas, but without a more general appreciation for the sociological approach. Sociology is, by its nature, a very diverse The wide range of subject matter and theoretical perspectives make the disci pline interesting and dynamic. But for un dergraduates gaining their first exposure, it can also make sociology appear incoherent and without a defining essence, a sort of undisciplined discipline. Basic steps have been taken to define the core goals of a sociology major program. Requiring a sequence of courses that build upon one another is recommended (American Sociological Association 1991). Following an introductory course or courses, many programs have a required sequence of sociological theory, research methods, and social statistics (in some in stances methods and statistics are combined in the same course) (Hartman 1992). The idea here is that the overall essence of the discipline, from sociological theorizing to data gathering and empirical analysis, is conveyed in sequential presentation. In the meantime, elective courses of the student's choosing provide them with a well-rounded exposure to major sub-disciplinary topics within the field. In reality, even if these core classes are taken in any prescribed order, it is over the course of three or more semesters, often with little coordination among the faculty teaching these classes. In the meantime, substantive courses on par ticular topics are not adequately connected to other classes, thus obscuring common sociological themes (Wagenaar 1991). As a result, despite efforts to create a holistic sociological experience, we often leave stu dents with little appreciation for the coher ence of the *We would like to extend a special thank you to the three undergraduate students, Erin Con nelly, Mitch Monsour, and Jason Letts who volunteered their time to assist us in understand